pirl

P3I1R1L1

verb

To twist or wind, especially into a cord or braid etc.

Scrabble 6
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Meanings

verbpirl (third-person singular simple present pirls, present participle pirling, simple past and past participle pirled)

present singular third person pirls · participle present pirling · participle past pirled · past pirled

  1. transitiveTo twist or wind, especially into a cord or braid etc.
  2. intransitiveTo ripple or swirl, especially of water.
  3. transitiveTo cause to revolve or spin.
nounpirl (plural pirls)

plural pirls

  1. A ripple; a twist or curl.

Origin

The verb is from the 16th century. Origin uncertain; related to purl, pirn, prill (OED; more at pern, preen). The noun was derived from the verb in the 19th century.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pirl. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pirl

MLA

“pirl.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pirl. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pirl,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pirl.

Source: pirl on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.